Come Away From the Edge
by fanfantome
Summary: A 2004 movie-verse one-shot inspired by a prompt. Meg and Christine are on the rooftop during the Masquerade. Meg takes her leave for a moment and Christine has an encounter.


**So, this one was an anonymous writing prompt and I thought I'd share it with you guys because I think you'll enjoy it. The prompt was "Christine gets drunk some how and Erik has to take care of her but, she's being real emotional." So, I thought it might be fun if it took place at the Masquerade. This would be after the whole Red Death thing. Raoul chases after Erik and they both drop into the creepy trapdoor in the middle of the Grand Escalier. Hope you like it! Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Webber.**

* * *

 **Christine**

I couldn't believe he had just left me! Raoul had promised to be my guide and guardian… those were his own words! He had promised to protect me and yet the first chance he has to exact his _own_ revenge, he leaves me without a second thought.

For that matter I couldn't believe _both_ of them had just left…

The Phantom too... was that what he was? It felt so strange calling him that. Although I couldn't really call him my Angel anymore. Not now that I knew the truth. Now that I knew he was no Angel.

Although, terrified as I was by his actions, seeing him again after so many months… meeting his gaze made me feel…

Oh, it hardly mattered.

I stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony. The balconies of the Garnier weren't open to visitors for the duration of the Masquerade, but many people had left after the incident so I didn't think it would matter all that much. Those that _were_ left all stayed away from me, no doubt everyone had seen The Phantom approach me. God only knew what they thought… No doubt they will fabricate the rest.

I needed air. I needed time to think. I took another sip of my drink. It was my third since Raoul had left, and since _he_ left…

I was becoming inebriated, but it was New Year's Eve, was it not? I was by myself on New Year's Eve and I no longer had a strict vocal coach to tell me what I could or could not drink… What a mess it all was.

I wondered where Raoul had disappeared to. I didn't want either of them hurt, but I had no way of knowing or controlling any of it, that just made me want to drink more. I finished the rest of what was in my glass and walked back inside.

"Miss… Miss Daae."

I spun around. It was Andre.

"You shouldn't be on the balcony, Miss Daae." He peered around me. I got the feeling he was checking to see whether or not I was alone… "It isn't safe."

Hardly in the mood for a discussion, I nodded and made to move past him.

"le Vicomte…" He began. "Is he…"

"I do not know." I shot tersely. I heard him following me.

"A-About what happened…" He caught up and stood before me. "With the Opera Ghost."

"It has nothing to do with me!"

I hadn't meant to yell, but it felt good. A few people turned and looked, which made Andre back away. The last thing he wanted was another scene.

"Christine…" Meg approached me from behind. "Christine are you alright?" She turned me around to face her.

"No Meg. I am not." I replied. I was far from it, but I hoped she wouldn't ask why for I hadn't a clue where to start.

She simply stared at me for a moment before pulling me into an embrace. It was the first time I had seen her tonight. It was the first time I had seen her in a while. With everything going on it felt as though I hardly saw her at all. And I needed her. I needed my friend.

"Well… you look beautiful, Christine." She offered. I smiled, knowing that it was Meg's way of attempting to lighten the mood.

"Can we go somewhere quiet?" I asked. She nodded.

"A balcony?"

"No, no." I replied, recalling my exchange with Andre. "Somewhere else quiet."

She thought for a moment before pulling me toward the bar.

"I have an idea." She said, slipping one of the bottles into her dress and pulling me up the stairs.

"Where are we going?"

"The roof." She smiled.

 _The roof._

I hadn't been there since the night Raoul had told me he loved me. The night after the murder…

I felt sick.

"Are you sure…"

"No one will bother us there." Meg interjected. "It will be cold but we can borrow some old cloaks from wardrobe on the way." That part was a good idea. Once a production was done with the costumes were never used again; simply thrown into one of the spaces above the stage. I'd always thought it to be a terrible waste.

"Meg… where is your…"

I cut myself off mid-sentence as I almost tripped up the stairs. I was going to ask where her mother was, but after that moment It was forgotten for the rest of the night.

"Christine! What happened?" Meg laughed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." I replied, now laughing also. "Just a little too much wine I expect."

"Oh." She mused, taking my arm as we began our ascent. "Well, it _is_ New Year's Eve!"

* * *

Once on the roof we sat together near the entrance; a place the snow had not yet reached. It was cold, but we were warm together. Meg didn't ask where I'd been. She didn't ask about Raoul or The Opera Ghost, we simply talked as we used to; gossip, trivial discussions about where we wanted to be or what we wanted to do on the weekend.

With Meg I was almost able to forget everything that was going on in my life… everything that had gone _wrong._ We took turns taking sips from her stolen bottle of wine and having never drunk more than a glass at a time, it was beginning to affect me. We must have talked for an hour at least before we realized that we had almost finished the bottle.

"Just wait here, Christine." She began, slowly standing up. "I'll go and get some more."

"Alright." I smiled. I would have offered to join her but I wasn't sure I could have handled all those stairs in my state if I had. "Be careful on the stairs." I giggled. "Don't be long!"

"I won't!" She said, pulling the door open and disappearing inside.

A few minutes after she left I decided to stand up too. I picked up my skirts and walked to the edge of the roof. The snow had stopped momentarily and I wanted to see the sky. My father and I had always looked to the skies in Winter. I'd almost forgotten that…

Suddenly, overcome by the sort of faux-emotion only associated with inebriation I began to weep. I'd never missed my father more than at that moment.

I raised my wine bottle, preparing to take another sip… _not that I needed one…_ when a voice sounded behind me.

"Christine."

The voice was warm, gentle… but I knew to whom it belonged.

I spun around to see his figure lurking in the shadow of the doorway Meg had just entered.

"What happened." He said. More a statement than a question.

"What are you doing here…" I managed.

"Are you alright." He persisted, unmoving from where he stood.

"No…" I answered honestly. " _What are you doing here?"_

Silence for a moment.

"I'm often here." He said. "If you wish, I can leave."

"No!" I shot abruptly. I wasn't sure why I'd said it.

He paused before stepping toward me slightly.

"Christine, I would _never_ hurt you."

Part of me knew that…

I nodded.

"Where is Raoul?" I asked. Suddenly remembering when I'd last seen him. "Is he alright."

I heard him scoff.

"I unsure of his whereabouts." He began. "…But he is unharmed."

I nodded.

" _He_ came after _me_ , Christine."

"And so you have the right to harm someone if _they_ come after _you_?" I shot. I'd never spoken to him like this before…

"Are you intoxicated?" He asked, evading my question. "Come away from the edge."

"Not that it has anything to do with you!" I spat, pointing at him with the wine bottle in hand.

"It has _everything_ to do with me! I am your teacher and…"

"Teacher?" I laughed. "You threw that away three months ago when you murdered Buquet!"

"Christine, I am sorry! I know that it drove you away! Every waking second I rue that night!" He walked close enough for me to see that he was still in his Red Death costume. I could make out even less of his face than usual. It was hard enough to try and make out what he was thinking but now it was impossible!

"I did not mean to frighten you!" He continued. "I didn't mean to ruin what we had but you did not know the kind of man he was!"

"I don't know what kind of man _you_ are!" I gestured to him again before taking a step backward only to find that there was nothing behind me. My arms flailed for a moment but before I had time to realise that I was about to fall, The Phantom was beside me, holding me in his arms.

"Christine…" He breathed over me. "You must be more careful!"

"I almost fell..." I gasped, clinging onto his arms. "I almost fell."

"Yes."

"You saved me."

We stood up together.

"Yes." He repeated. He looked down before taking a deep breath and taking his hand in mine.

"Please. Allow me the chance."

I looked up at him.

"Let me _show_ you what kind of man I am."


End file.
